Orthopedic attachment for surgical tables

Abstract

A surgical tray attachment for expediting the performance of wound cleansing, surgical operations, and the taking of X-ray pictures of a patient's extremity while the patient is resting on a conventional surgical table. The tray is formed of an X-ray-transparent material and is of generally rectangular configuration projecting laterally relative to the surgical table and providing adequate room for a surgeon to function efficiently on either side of the tray. A clamp is provided for mounting the inboard end of the surgical tray to the support rail commonly provided on surgical tables. The medial portions of the tray are provided with a plurality of vertical passages for draining cleansing fluids from the surface of the tray. Depending lugs are provided on the underside of the tray for selectively mounting an X-ray film cartridge in contiguous relationship to the bottom surface of the tray, or alternatively, mounting a fluid-collecting trough for collecting fluids draining through the vertical passages and directing such fluids to a suitable receptacle.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is: 
     
       1. An orthopedic attachment for surgical table having a patient-supporting surface and a rigid bar extending along one side of the surfical table parallel to the patient-supporting surface, comprising, in combination: a tray formed of rigid X-ray-transparent material, the tray having top and bottom surfaces, opposed ends, first and second edges connecting said ends, and a medial portion intermediate said first and second edges; means secured to said tray adjacent one end thereof for detachably securing said tray to said rigid bar, said securing means including means for orienting the tray so that said first and second edges project laterally relative to the patient-supporting surface whereby a patient's extremity may be supporting on said tray for surgical operations performed from either edge of said tray and for X-ray pictures of the extremity without moving the extremity; said tray having a plurality of vertical pasages through the medial portion thereof; at least one support lug depending from the bottom of said tray at a location outside of said vertical passages, said support lug being contoured to receive and selectively support either one edge of an X-ray film cartridge or an edge of a fluid-collecting trough; and manually operable latch means positioned on said tray bottom on the opposite side of said vertical passages for said support lug; the latch means having an engaging portion for selectively engaging either another edge of the X-ray film cartridge or the other edge of the trough, whereby either an X-ray film cartridge or a fluid-collecting trough may be selectively clamped between the lug and latch means beneath said tray. 
     
     
       2. The orthopedic attachment of claim 1 further including at the second edge of the tray a plurality of notches for positioning tensioning lines attached to the patient's extremity. 
     
     
       3. An orthopedic attachment for a surgical table having a patient-supporting surface and a rigid bar extending along one side of the surgical table parallel to the patient-supporting surface, the attachment comprising, in combination: a tray formed of a rigid X-ray-transparent material, a trough having first and second opposed edges and an X-ray film cartridge also having first and second opposed edges; the tray having a medial portion and a bottom surface, means secured to said tray adjacent one edge thereof for detachably securing the tray, to said rigid bar to project laterally relative to the patient-supporting surface wherein a patient's extremity may be securely supported on said tray for surgical operations performed from either side of said tray and for making X-ray pictures of the extremity without moving the extremity; and tray having a plurality of vertical passages through the medial portions thereof; at least one support lug depending from: the bottom of said tray at a location outside of said vertical passages, said support lug being contoured to receive and selectively support either the first edge of the X-ray film cartridge or the first edge of the fluid-collecting trough; and a manually operable latch means positioned on said tray bottom on the opposite side of said vertical passages from said support lug; the latch means having an engaging portion for selectively supporting either the second edge of the X-ray film cartridge or the second edge of the trough, whereby either the X-ray film cartridge or the fluid-collecting trough may be selectively clamped beneath said tray bottom surface. 
     
     
       4. The orthopedic attachment of claim 3 wherein the tray has a flat operating surface and wherein the plurality of vertical passages extending therethrough are distributed across substantially the entire medial portion, wherein fluids drain immediately from the surface of the table. 
     
     
       5. The orthopedic attachment of claim 3 wherein there are a plurality of support lugs spaced from one another, wherein each of the support lugs is L-shaped in cross section defining a slot with the bottom surface of the table to receive the first edge of either the trough or the X-ray film cartridge; and wherein the latching means includes a pivoted member having the engaging portion thereon for abutting either the trough or the X-ray film cartridge adjacent the second edges thereof. 
     
     
       6. The orthopedic attachment of claim 3 further including at the opposite edge thereof a plurality of spaced notches for positioning tensioning lines attached to the patient's extremity. 
     
     
       7. The orthopedic attachment of claim 3 further including a support leg pivoted to the tray at a location adjacent to the opposite end thereof for engaging a floor to support the opposite end of the tray. 
     
     
       8. An orthopedic attachment for a surgical table having a patient-supporting surface and a rigid bar extending along one side of the surgical table parallel to the patient-supporting surface, the attachment comprising, in combination: a tray formed of a rigid X-ray-transparent material, a trough having first and second edges and an X-ray film cartridge also having first and second edges; the tray having a medial portion and a bottom surface, means secured to said tray adjacent one edge thereof for detachable securing the tray to said rigid bar to project laterally relative to the patient-supporting surface wherein a patient's extremity may be securely supported on said tray for surgical operations performed from either side of said tray and for making X-ray pictures of the extremity without moving the extremity; said tray having a plurality of vertical passages through the medial portions thereof; support means depending below the bottom surface of said tray at a location outside of said vertical passages, said support means being contoured to selectively receive and support either the first edge of the X-ray film cartridge or the first edge of the fluid-collecting trough; and a manually operable latch means depending below said tray bottom surface and disposed outside of said vertical passages; the latch means having an engaging portion for selectively engaging either the second edge of the X-ray film cartridge or the second edge of the trough, whereby either the X-ray film cartridge or the fluid-collecting trough may be selectively clamped beneath said tray bottom surface.